Improved coal-chute



l Figure 3, a view of the. top.

Letters Patent No. 89,793, datedMay 4, 1869.

` VIivrPRovnD coen-elaine,

The` Shedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it mo/y concern;

'Beit known that-we, L. D. ROBERTS and G. O. RoB- EBTS, of Cleveland, `in the county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Chute and Oar for Goal, Sac.; and we do hereby declare that the` following is a full and `complete description of thesame, reference being had to thea'ccompauying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-l Y Figure l is a side view of the apparatus.

Figure 2, a vertical section.

Like letters of reference refer tolike parts in the dif-I ferent views. e

The nature cfthis invention relates to a coal`chute,"

the peculiar construction and operation of which are such that'coal can be discharged from a car into the hold of .a vessel, or upon the dock' or coal-yard, without its` being/so much broken` up as when discharged.` in the usual way. f

A, fig. 1, represents a platform, or anelevation above rthe vessel orplace at which the coal is toghe deposited.

B is a chute, the length of which being according to circumstances, and proceeding `from the platform to the vessel.

Said chute is represented as being in two sections, which, however, may beymore` or less fin number, as the `length of the chute required may demand.`

. i I, fig. 2, is a fall, or apron,the upper-.end of which is hinged to the under side of the platform, at the point a, so that the lower end can be moved upward or down' ward, as and for a purpose` hereafter-shown.

`To the, lower end of said apro'n is hinged another section, onapron, as an extension of the rst.

lt will beobviou's that the` connectionof the upper and lower aprons to 'each otheris such that the upper -end of the lower sectionis elevated* above the lower end of the upper section, by means ofthe raised wing Dv 'of the hinge, whereby the connection is made.

I t' will also Vbe seen that the Vwidth ofthe apron suchtliat it tits Vin between the sides of thefchute, and lon the bottom of which thevlower ends of each apron rest.

7 E isa chain, and' F, a windlass, whereby the end ofthe chute may be adjusted-to any required elevation. G1 is, a coal-car, the bottom H of which is hinged at the point b, so that tlie'front end can be dropped from the position yindicated by the dotted line o, tocthat shown at H, which, as will beseen, forms 'an inclined plane in the direction of and in connection with the chute.

Said bottom, when closed, is held'thus by'a slide,'I,

iig. 2, operated by means of a right-angled lever, J, to

which it is connected and actuated, as will presentlybe shown;` V

. The ordinary way of loading coal intove'ssels, or dei positing it at any otherplace, isto run it uninterrupted `down -a chute. The consequence is that a large amount of the coal, especially the softer kinds, becomes broken up into `small fragments, known to the dealers as slack.

`justed tothe hatchway of the vessel, or other place,

the loaded car is then run to the platform, and over. the scuttle, through which the coal is dropped fromI the car, by withdrawing the slide I from under the bottom, and which is done4 by the end of the .lever J `impinging'upon the incline of the standard K, thereby throwing -up the'end, and, as a consequence, withdrawing the bolt, or slide, by the outward movement of the vertical limb ofthe lever. 1

' As the bottom of the 'car forms an-inclined plane,

the descent of the coal'is guided thereby into the chutem `Now, if an uninterrupted descent of the coal down the chute is allowed, it will be obvious that the velocity of the descentA will be so great' as to cause a break ing to piecesof the lumps, and more especially so,-if\ thechute i's a long one andthe coal of asoft nature.

` To guard againstV this swift descent of the coal, it is arrested, or rather retarded in its downward course, by means of the falls, or aprons G, which, as above said,

. rest upon the bottom ofthe chute, and under which the coal must pass as it descends.

The weight of the aprons upon the top'of the descending coal retards its downwardpmovement; hence it reaches the bottom of the chute with less violence, and is, therefore, not broken topieces, as it would be if not thus retarded; 4

rlhe aprons being hinged in the chute, as above de. scribed, will risev or fall, according to the size of the" lumps, or quantity of coal running down by thisadaptability of the aprons. The coal cannot .lodge under them, and the chute thus become clogged, but simply retards it in its descent. Q In consequence of elevating the ends of the aprons above each other, as aforesaid, an enlarged space is `obtained immediately-below the end of each apron, or,

section.` i l By this means, goal-is less liable to lodge, and is .more successfully retarded in its descent, than it would along with theA larger icoal.

By the use of a chute thus constructed, a large percentage of coal is saved from being reduced tolslack,

and, therefore, wasted, in consequence of the little value of the broken coal. Hence, in an economical point of What we claim as our improvement, and desire to view, this apparatus is one greatly to be desired by secure by Letters Yatent, isthose having the handling and transportation of coal. 1.' Two or more aprons, O C', 'hinged to eachother, It will be obvious that the apparatus is equally Well so that the upper end of the lower apron shall be elef adapted to the shipment of ores, and other like artivated above the lower end of the upper apron, in the cles, as it saves them from violent concussion and manner as and for the purpose set forth. breakage in unloading. 2. The aprons C G', as arranged in combination with The aprons, as above described, are so hinged to the chute B, and operating conjointiy as and for the each other that the end of the lower one is'elevated purpose specified.

' L. D. ROBERTS.

above the lower end of the upper, and though this practically is found to be the better way of hanging Witnesses: C. C. ROBERTS. them together', they may be connected without thus W'. H. 'BURRIDGE, elevating theend, and good results thereby obtained. E. E. WAITE. 

